Folk Dance for Hartford

Folk Dance For Hartford premiered during DominGO! Hartford on September 25th, 2022. It showcased a captivating collection of movement moments gathered from participants around the city leading up to the event - some in person, some contributed digitally.

We asked them to make:

A Movement of Celebration

A Movement to Honor their Ancestors

A Movement Recorded in a Favorite Spot

A Movement That Speaks to Home

A Movement They Love Doing

We compiled them to create "Folk Dance for Hartford," set to music from Hartford Hot Several. At DominGO!, Hartford residents and visitors engaged with an instructional video, dancing alongside a live feed enhanced with special effects, and witnessing themselves as part of the larger project.

Collaborating Artists: Eileen Levinson, Rebecca Pappas, Charles Raffetto with CJ Donohoe

In action at DominGO!

What is

"DominGO! Hartford gives residents and visitors the opportunity to use our streets in a new way by temporarily transforming them into car-free public spaces. Each event highlights different neighborhoods throughout Hartford and encourages everyone to get active, get outside, and get moving! You can walk, bike, skate, dance, and participate however you’d like—whether it be discovering a new restaurant along the route or learning new dance moves."

How we danced at DominGO!

From spreading the word on social media, to capturing videos on international dance day, creating this dance has been a true collaborative effort in our shared passion for movement and community. On the day of the project we set up outside Toivo Holistic Health Center, setting up projections, monitors, and banners of movement prompts, inviting community members to come DANCE.

FOLK DANCERS:

Justice Dance Performance Project

Sistah Anyangō and The FLYY Movement

Lisa Matias

Bonita Weisman

Rachna Agrawal and Vani Sundar

Roxanne Lebenzon

Raechel Manga

Dana Kugeman with Team Creative Media

Ginette Christie

Hartford Dance Collective

Corinne Bates and her student Yadelis at the Greater Hartford Academy for the Arts

Pratt Street Salsa Social

Creative Cocktail Hour at Real Art Ways

DJ Sonia Sol at Real Art Ways

Nikita at Real Art Ways

Susan Murphy

National Dance Day sponsored by Connecticut Dance Alliance

Hartford Dance Collective

Peter Kyle

Leslie Frye Maietta

Hartford’s Got Talent at Artist’s Collective

Lauren Horn

The Nightfall 2022 Cast including Loren Milledge, Kunzika, Brianna Navedo, Claire Sickinger

Hartt Dance Students

Chayanne McNeil

Megan Boyd, Luka Kito and MB Dance Theater

Kevin DeShields and Eastern Connecticut Capoeira

Ballet Hartford

Dancentral

Elizabeth Cook-Asal and Company ‘N Tempo

Garet & Company

The School of New England Ballet Theatre

Carissa Nascembeni

MUSIC BY:

Hartford Hot Several

SPECIAL THANKS TO ARTISTS AND SUPPORTERS:

Jessica Goldman and TOIVO Center

DominGO! Hartford

Charles Raffetto

CJ Donohoe

Eileen Levinson

Rebecca Pappas

Trinity College